Abortion

Crisis pregnancy centers are always concerned with the prospective mothers as well as the life of the baby. Care is given throughout pregnancy and beyond. Adoptions are always encouraged. There is a tremendous shortage of babies to adopt in this country. That is why so many couples spend thousands of dollars to adopt a baby from abroad. An abortion is a quick "fix" to a problem that not only takes the life of a baby but also has serious consequences for the mother's future mental and physical health.

The Supreme Court decision on abortion is being distorted by the media. Out of 20 birth-control drugs in question, only four are being withheld by Hobby Lobby. The birth control that Hobby Lobby objects to are items that kill fertilized cells. All other forms of contraception are still included in their health care plan. Hobby Lobby's concern is not about contraception, it is about abortion. Bill Slager, Margate

I certainly hope our esteemed representatives in Congress plan on adopting the unwanted children they won't fund for abortion, or at least agree to support them until age 18, relieving us of the tax burden of doing so. Also, please remember, the label is pro-choice, not pro-abortion. Carole Keitel, Coconut Creek

Editor's note: On social media Monday, people from across the political spectrum weighed in on the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in the Hobby Lobby case, which said closely held businesses no longer have to cover contraceptions in their employee health-insurance plans. Here's a sampling of what was said, a quick gauge of the nation's temperature on the ruling. Rick Santorum: SCOTUS restored a vital piece of our Constitution today. It's a great day for all Americans! Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: Disturbed by #HobbyLobby decision allowing some CEOs to deny women employees contraceptive care based on religious belief.

I am writing regarding Rachel Patron's July 9 column, "Anti-abortion venom gets more extreme. " Ms. Patron asks to be corrected if she is wrong, and I am writing this note to do just that. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't this column totally disconnected? Ms. Patron begins by talking about her previous column, "America's 15 million hungry children," and the "mean-spirited comments" written about these children. Ms. Patron decides that these "complainers" are "staunch anti-abortionists who claim 'values' in opposing a woman's decision to legally terminate her pregnancy.

I felt a need to respond to the writer of a recent letter who equates abortion to birth control. Please do not confuse being pro-choice with pro-abortion. Abortion is never easy, even if you believe in a woman's right to choose. Do you honestly believe most women view abortion as a form of birth control? That's ludicrious. People have always had unprotected sex and will continue to do so. To expect otherwise is naive. Yes, in a perfect world, everyone would take proper precautions to prevent unwanted pregnancies, but we know the world is not perfect.

Recently, there have been several readers writing in to express horror at the treatment of pythons, i.e. dismemberment, etc., after seeing pictures of the procedure in the Sun Sentinel. We wonder how many would express the same horror after seeing photos of an abortion, especially late-term. Food for thought. Frank and Maryann Sullivan, Tamarac

In response to the Jan. 22 letter that kept referring to "pre-born child killing" and "killing innocent persons," I would like to inform the writer that a fetus is not a pre-born child or a person. As a retired gynecologist who did perform abortions, which are legal in this country, a woman's right to choose to end an unwanted pregnancy is no one's business but the pregnant woman's. Those who disagree about the law of the land should just not have an abortion if pregnant. The blanket statements made by these pro-lifers, in my experience, are not predicated on real life but stem from religious zealotry or brainwashing by extreme groups with agendas.

Budget cuts are not easy to make, for families or governments, but they are a fact of life and much needed for responsible living. Everyone knows our government needs to make some difficult, much-needed budget cuts. Now. As a nation, we need to get real about the money. We need to decide what we have to spend and set our priorities for spending it. It may be — no, it will be — difficult, and at times painful. But I see two ways a much-needed, fiscally responsible cut can be made with two bills in the House, now. HR 3, No Taxpayer Funding of Abortions, and HR 358, the Protect Life Act, are both in the House.

Recently, I wrote a column about America's 15 million hungry children. Reader response was voluminous. Many of you agreed our great and compassionate nation can and must provide basic nutrition to what is a staggering percentage of our underage population. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. But far too many readers wrote mean-spirited comments about these children: One, they're probably illegal. Two, the kids may be legal, but have irresponsible parents who prefer to shift the burden of feeding their offspring to the American taxpayer.

I have read a lot of letters to the editor regarding abortion and medical marijuana. A woman's body is her own choice. Our politicians and government should not have any laws governing this woman's choice. This is a personal and family matter. I believe our Catholic Church is too influential in government matters. This is a human choice, not a legal matter. Regarding medical marijuana. My girlfriend, Ann, had cancer in 1983. She never smoked. She started smoking marijuana to relieve the aftermath of chemo therapy, and it relieved her of the sickness and pain.

There is a bill sitting on Gov. Rick Scott's desk that he shouldn't sign. No way. Not at all. But he'll sign it. Trust me. And when he does, Florida will further restrict abortion rights, preventing most abortions after a fetus “reaches viability.” That will probably reduce “viability” from 24 weeks to about 20. This is just another attempt by right-to-lifers to chip away at abortion rights, since they realize they...

New Florida legislation making abortions more difficult to obtain could become a lynchpin issue in the Charlie Crist-Rick Scott race for governor. Already, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, and state Rep. Lori Berman, D-Lantana, have joined forces in an attempt to use the proposed new abortion restrictions as a way to rejuvenate their party's long-running charge that Republicans are engaged in a war on women. And they're aiming squarely at Scott, the Republican governor running for re-election.

To the people who condemn abortion of the fetus, or as they say "the unborn," I suggest they do more than wag their tongues about "homicidal mothers and unborn children. " Stand by your convictions and adopt all unwanted and thrown-away newborns, so that the mother will feel she did the right thing and the born child will be loved and cared for by people who abhor abortion. I wish the mother of Ted Bundy and all other psychopaths who have kidnapped, raped and tortured innocent children would have been aborted.

Regarding the April 29 editorial, "Abortion choice doesn't belong in Tallahassee": I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in June 2011. My doctor called it peritoneal — an uncle to ovarian cancer. To get chemotherapy, I had one port inserted in my chest and a month later, a "new kind of technology" port inserted into my stomach. I went through four months of chemotherapy and have been cancer-free so far. The port therapy directly into my stomach is about two years old — invented by a man in Japan.

U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel said Wednesday that legislation designed to restrict access to abortions should be vetoed by Gov. Rick Scott. “Every woman has the constitutional right to make her own decisions about her health, her family, and her life - without political interference. This new Florida legislation makes the federal Women's Health Protection Act more relevant than ever. State governments must stop trying to re-litigate a woman's ability to...

I am so sick of hearing from males about women having abortions. First and foremost, it is none of their business. It is a woman's decision to make if she needs to abort a fetus that, to most of our way of thinking, is not a child. Why don't they worry instead about those who get women pregnant and disappear, or don't support babies? It seems to me there are more problems to think about — jobs, housing, money, etc. — than to spend time spouting their opinions. Why don't they spend more time talking about men using contraceptives?

In President Obama's recent eloquent address to the Indian parliament, he noted that each human has dignity and a God-given right to achieve his or her potential. However, back home, he allocates U.S. taxpayer money for pre-born child killing. Since becoming president, Obama has initiated a policy of giving our tax dollars to foreign, population-control centers that perform or refer for abortions. He provides federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, which kills human embryos.

I have always been under the impression that the legislators we elect to represent us in Tallahassee are there to do just that — represent us and the things we think are most important for the betterment of Florida. As this session winds down, I am asking for an accurate accounting of how many of their constituents have written and demanded further abortion restrictions. I would wager, none. It is inconceivable to me that these so-called people's representatives have wasted even one second of time on what has been the law of the land for over 40 years and essentially an issue between the patient and her doctor and nobody else.